Valediction
by Fateless Wanderer
Summary: Not your typical reunion fic. A painful, sorrowful multichapter fic about the deaths of Angel Grove's first team of super heros and how they cope with the loss of each other. Multiple Pairings. WARNING Multiple Character Death! Based on my Out of series
1. Farewell to a Crane

**Disclaimer: I do not, nor do I claim to, own anything that is clearly from Power Rangers. Only this plot is mine. **

This is not your typical reunion fic. If you are emotional, I suggest tissues (and not listening to sad music while reading).

**IMPORTANT: This story is based of my three one shots: Out of Reach, Out of Time, and Out of Hope. You will not need to read Out of Time, or Out of Hope to read and understand this story. However, while you don't need to read Out of Reach to understand what's going on, it gives another point of view of Chapter 1 of this story, focusing on different details. So if you want to, feel free to read Out of Reach before or after you read this chapter. It may clear up some questions.  
**  
Pairings warning: Mainly TOMMY/KIMBERLY; other couples will include: Jason/Trini, Zack/Angela, Kat, Billy/Haley, Adam/Tanya, Rocky/Aisha, Trent/Kira, Conner, Ethan?; and that pretty much covers it. If you have a BIG problem with these, you may not enjoy the fic.

Last Warning: MAJOR CHARACTER DEATH! I repeat, characters will die (frequently).

* * *

There's nothing lonelier than watching all of your friends leave you; no more empty feeling than having to say goodbye more times than you care to count; no more depressing knowledge than knowing they're beyond your reach and that you'll never see them again. Never again will you reside in their presence and there is nothing you can do about this. 

I've had to watch my friends leave one at a time until the last of the eleven were beyond my reach forever. The pain each time is unbearable, unimaginable, incomprehensible, and unavoidable. In each case, the parting is different, but the feeling of abandonment remains the same. Each one of the eleven is special; each holds a significant place in my heart and the hearts of one another; a family forced together by the threat of alien evils; a family split apart by mere mortal circumstances. All the power we possessed and we couldn't stop the inevitable no matter how much we would have tried.

* * *

A young woman stood off to the side watching her student go through a complex retinue of twists and tumbles on the floor mats. Every so often she would correct the girls stance or complement her on her form, the entire time watching for anything that could be seen as a mistake by the judges in the upcoming competition. It was the same thing she'd been doing everyday since her own time as a pan global competitor. 

"Excellent job, Gabby," the woman called out to her student who had just preformed a difficult double back handspring twist which was to be her trademark move. The teenager turned to her coach and smiled giving a quick thumbs up. The woman smiled in return and turned around to glance at one of the other coaches and his student.

Along with the rush of the spin, the woman began to feel a sudden weakness and exhaustion take over her body. It was a familiar feeling she'd experienced multiple times since she'd left for Florida nearly ten years prior; a feeling that was becoming more and more frequent. As her eyes rolled back, she stumbled slightly forward, jolting herself back into awareness as the other occupants of the gym who had seen her near fall raced forward to make sure she was ok.

"Coach Hart! Are you alright?" was the question her vague mind weakly received first. She identified the speaker as Gabby and nodded slightly, still feeling slightly fatigued. Gentle but coarse hands gripped her arms to help steady her. They could only be the hands of a fellow gymnast.

"Are you sure, Kimberly?" the man asked. He'd been the other coach she was shifting her attention to. The small, brown haired woman nodded again and smiled up at him.

"I'm fine, Tyler," she assured him, removing her petite body from his grip. The worried look didn't leave his face. "I swear; just a bit tired is all."

"Maybe you should go home and lay down?" he suggested well within his authority as her boss. Kimberly shook her head.

"Really, I'm ok. I've been through worse. Besides, I've got to get Gabby ready for the competition," Kimberly protested, trying to keep her head from spinning, unsure when the last time she'd felt so weak and helpless was.

"I can practice with Christine and Megan," Gabby protested, indicating another coach and student that she and Kimberly often worked with.

"See, Gabby's all set. You need to sleep this thing off," Tyler responded, grabbing Kimberly by the shoulders and steering her towards the locker room.

"But I'm really fine!" she protested, although she allowed him to steer her.

"Uh-huh. Tell it to your pillow," he laughed. Kimberly just turned and smiled up at him, resting her palm on his cheek for a moment. Tyler bent down to brush his lips against hers, but she quickly turned away, pretending she hadn't noticed.

"You're a great friend, Ty," she told him, causing him to sigh and simply nod.

"Go then. Get some rest," he mumbled, turning back and heading towards his student, Katiana. Kim just watched him go for a moment before ducking into the locker room. She remembered a year ago that she and Tyler had been more than friends, but that was the past. She'd finally thought it was safe to start dating, but Tyler wasn't boyfriend material. He was her friend, and no one could compare to her first love.

Kimberly made it home to the two bedroom apartment she shared with her best friend Sarah. Sarah was a pan global alumnus as well, although in the area of swimming. She taught swimming lessons at the local YMCA to children and usually got home around early afternoon, where as Kim was usually at the gym until late at night working with Gabby or getting in a workout for herself.

Kimberly put her key in the door and stepped into the apartment. "You're home early," Sarah's voice rang out from her bedroom at the back of the apartment. Kimberly snorted. For all Sarah knew she could have been a murderer breaking into the apartment.

"Some lunatic could come storming into the apartment and kill you, and the whole time, you'd think it was me," Kim retorted.

"At least I'd die ignorant," was Sarah's cheerful reply as she came into the living room to see Kim put her bag down and get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. "So, why are you home so early?"

"Tyler made me leave because I was feeling a little tired. Gabby's working with Christine."

"Ahh… so Ty was worried about you?"

Kimberly nodded to her friend who was perched on the couch. She, herself, leaned against the counter for support. "I'm fine, but he didn't believe me. I suppose he's just trying to be the hero."

Sarah shrugged. "He could be right though. You don't look too hot. Maybe you should get some sleep."

"Not you too; I already said I'm fine…" Kimberly protested. Her own body wavered for a moment before her eyes rolled back and she fainted, barely hearing Sarah call out her name.

* * *

By the time Kimberly came to, she was no longer in her apartment, nor the clothing she remembered putting on that morning. Faintly she remembered Sarah calling 911, the noisy ambulance ride, and the doctors at the hospital poking and prodding. She glanced down at her arm and noticed it was heavily bandaged: they'd drawn blood.

Her head was pounding. She reached her hand up to her forehead and felt more bandages.

"Did anyone get the number of the truck that hit me?" she groaned.

"You hit your head on the counter when you fainted," she heard a familiar voice say as she turned to look at Sarah who sat beside her bed. "Hey there," her roommate smiled.

"Hey," Kimberly sighed back and began coughing. Her throat was dry.

"Here," a guys voice said offering her a cup full of ice chips.

"Tyler? Th-thanks," she said with a smile. She figured he'd be there.

"What'd the doctors say?" Kimberly asked them as Tyler took the cup back from her.

"Wouldn't tell us. We're not family," Sarah explained. Kimberly nodded. She'd lost all contact with her blood family years before. She didn't even know if her mom was even alive anymore. Her other family, well they would have to wait. "I'll go tell them you're awake." Kimberly mumbled a thanks and watched he go.

"Guess you're not fine, are you?" Tyler asked, kissing her on the forehead.

"Tyler…"

"I could have lost you."

"You don't have me. Tyler you're my friend; not my boyfriend," Kimberly protested.

"Why? Why can't we be more than friends? Is it because you still love HIM? Even after all these years, you still love him?" Tyler yelled, leaning down over her. Kimberly met his eyes squarely, a deep glare in them. She didn't take too kindly to people yelling at her, she never had. But he was right.

"Yes," she replied simply, turning away.

"Fine," Tyler responded, pushing past Sarah and the doctor on his rush to leave. Sarah looked puzzled, but took a seat beside Kim's bead.

"What was that about?"

"Just told him what he already knew, and what he didn't want to hear."

"Ok then," Sarah replied, still confused. She hated it when Kimberly talked cryptic.

"Ms. Hart, my name is Dr. Mitchell; we've been running some blood tests and…" the doctor paused, casting a look at Sarah.

"Its alright; she's family," Kimberly urged the woman on. The doctor nodded.

"Well, we've been researching your medical history. I know you're aware that you are no longer in remission. Unfortunately the disease has accelerated. Your leukemia is getting much worse."

Kimberly sighed and nodded. Somehow she knew it. Somehow she also knew there would be no remission this time. "I understand," she replied closing her eyes.

"We'll be admitting you to our cancer ward. We'll do everything we can," the doctor replied.

"Thanks, but would it be possible to um… transfer hospitals?" Kim asked, glancing at a still stunned Sarah.

"You have another hospital here in Tampa?"

"She means Angel Grove," Sarah put in for her. "In California. She's got family there," she added, taking Kimberly's hand and squeezing it. She understood why Kimberly would want to be there, but somehow she was sure her best friend wasn't telling her everything she feared.

"Is this true, Ms. Hart?" Dr. Mitchell asked her.

Kimberly nodded, sighing. What was she going to do? How could she tell them? "Yes doctor."

"Well, I'll go make arrangements for the transfer," the doctor said leaving the two young women alone again.

"Kimberly, you going to be ok?"

"I don't know, Sarah. I really don't know. Can you hold onto my things until I send for them?"

"Of course. We're going to get through this," Sarah told her.

"Maybe," Kimberly added, closing her eyes.

* * *

Three months later, Kim lay back in her hospital bed, having just returned from her latest round of chemotherapy. She'd immediately placed her wing back on, not liking that she didn't have any hair left. Her room was decorated with cards and letters from her friends and students in Florida, but that wasn't where her mind was as she gazed out the window, eyes focused on her old high school. Time was running out. She felt it in her heart and her soul. She didn't have much longer.

Tears of exhaustion and frustration in her eyes, she reached down to grab the phone beside her bed. "Please still be here," she muttered quietly before lifting the headset and dialing the operator."Hi, yes. Can you give me the number for Jason Scott? Thanks." She jotted down the number, and then began to dial. One ring, two rings, and on the third ring, a ruff familiar voice answered.

"Hello?"

Kimberly froze. How was she supposed to tell him, any of them. How could she even have called.

"Hello?" he questioned again.

"Hey," she finally choked out.

"Kimmy? Kimmy is that you?" she reveled in hearing his voice, nearly to the point where she was speechless.

"Yeah its me, Jase," she replied, trying to hold back tears.

"Where are you? This is an angel grove area code?"

"I'm in the hospital. Jase… I…"

"What? I'll be there in twenty minutes, max."

"Jason?" Kimberly asked, feeling relieved.

"Yeah, Kim?" he replied, concern in his voice. She sounded weak and he didn't like it.

"Thanks."

"Anytime, sis." She smiled and hung up the phone.

Twenty minutes later, just as promised, Jason burst through the door of her room and threw his arms around her diminished frame. Kimberly wrapped her arms around his shoulder and sobbed into his shoulder, unable to control it anymore; unable to hold back the tears, the sorrow, and the remorse any longer.

A while later, Jason pulled away, searching her tear stained face for answers. He knew. She didn't know how he knew, but he did. Her big brother always knew.  
"How long?"

"About a month," she whispered. Jason pulled her back into his arms and this time cried with her. Somehow, this wasn't fairl.

"You should have told us; we could have done something; found a way to save you. With all the power in our possession, we could have done something."

"Jason, this isn't an evil bent on taking over the planet. We can't just morph and destroy Leukemia," she told him, being realistic. He refused to hear it "The others?"

"Trini's my fiancé. She lives with me, and I'm sure she has Billy's number. He's probably still in touch with Adam and Rocky. They can reach Aisha, Tanya, and Kat. And I have Zack's number. He's in LA."

"What about Tommy?" she asked, her voice smaller than he'd ever heard it.

"I don't know. Maybe one of the others does." Kimberly didn't look too convinced. "We'll find him," he added. She nodded and lay back on her pillows, quickly falling asleep due to exhaustion.

Jason retreated to a chair in the corner, rubbing his hands over his face. He picked up the phone and began dialing, knowing he had a lot of phone calls to make.

"Hey Trini? Listen, we have a problem," he began, restraining his tears.

* * *

Over the next few weeks all of her teammates dropped in to spend time with her. Trini, Billy, Zack, and Jason took turns spending the night in her room. Jason had even managed to get a hold of her parents. However, the search for Tommy was coming up empty each way they turned. Kimberly was losing hope that they would find him in time.

"Hang in there, girl," Aisha muttered, glancing at her watch. She sighed, tears in her eyes, knowing they were near the end. Kim was losing her battle. "I've got to go to work, but I'll send Trini in; Goodbye, Kim, I love you," she said giving her friend a kiss on her pale cheek. Over the past few days this had become the groups customary goodbye as no one knew if it would be the last time they ever spoke.

"I love you too, Aisha," Kimberly strained. Aisha gave her a sad smile and left the room, sending Trini in as promised.

"How you doing, Kimmy?" Trini asked her, falling into a chair beside her friend's bed.

"I'm not going to make it, Trin. I'm not going to see him. I can't tell him how I feel."

"Don't talk like that. You'll make it. Jason and Zack are tracing a lead as we speak," her best friend responded, brushing her finger over her forehead. "They said Reefside this morning. That's not that far. I'm sure they're going to find him any minute."

Kim gave her a sad, strained smile, but shook her head. "Pass me that stationary, will you, Trini?" she begged.

"Why?" Trini asked, passing the box to her friend.

"Just in case I don't make it."

"Kim…" Trini began, but she paused. She could see the pain in her friends face. It was taking everything the small woman had to keep going just until Jason and Zack came back to tell her whether or not they'd located him. "Alright."

Kim took the pen in her weak hand and in the neatest writing she could muster began to write.

"_Handsome,_

_Yeah, I know I haven't called you that in a long time; in a really long time. I also know I shouldn't ever have stopped. Its my fault you're not here for me to say this in person. I love you. I always have, and I always will. I never stopped. I know that's hard for you to believe, especially after the last letter I sent you. But it's true. Tommy, there was no other guy. _

_I know, I should have told you sooner. It was the leukemia, Tommy. Right after I moved to Florida it came back. I never told the other's about it. I'd been in remission since kindergarten. No one ever knew. I was scared I'd be a distraction if you all knew and still had to fight Lord Zedd. That's why I wrote the letter. Why should you have to worry about a sick girlfriend on the other side of the country? I wanted you to concentrate on the world, and if that meant being with Kat, I was willing to let you go. _

_I shouldn't have lied. I should have told you all I was sick so much sooner, but it took more courage than I ever knew I had just to contact Jason a month ago. If I'd told you sooner you'd have been here with me. _

_If you're reading this, it means I never got to see you again. I never got to call you handsome one more time with my voice, which is greatly weakened now. It's so hard to breath, but I don't want to go until I know they've found you. Jason said something about a lead in Reefside this morning. _

_I'm more sorry than you could ever know. I wanted to see you once more. Just once. I wanted to tell you I was sorry, and I loved you. I wanted to see you and be better. I wanted to be with you forever, Tommy. I don't know what else I can say, except I'm sorry. Please forgive me for not being stronger. And please, keep living. Tell the others to keep on living, for me. You have to be happy in my place Tommy. I need you to be happy._

_I'll be waiting for the day I can soar with my falcon once again. _

_I love you, always and forever, _

_Your Beautiful."_

When she finished, Kim handed the sealed letter back to Trini, just as Billy entered the room with Jason and Zack. Kim searched their faces with hollow tear filled eyes. Trini leaned forward and clutched one of her hands while Jason took a seat on her other side and held her other. Billy remained at the foot of her bed, feeling helpless to stop his friend's pain and feeling guilty that with all his knowledge, he couldn't save her. Zack stood in the doorway, staring at his feet, arms crossed over his chest, clinging to his resolve not to cry in front of her, even though he was absolutely terrified.

"Did you find him?" Kimberly begged, her voice faltering.

"He's definitely in Reefside; he teaches high school science now," Jason told her. "We're going to go get him now."

"No; don't leave me," she pleaded, grasping his hand tighter. He bit his lip tightly.

"We won't go anywhere, Kimmy," Billy answered her.

"We'll stay until you tell us not to," Zack added, looking at the helpless figure on the bed. Kimberly took a labored breath.

"I love you guys. I'm so sorry. So very sorry."

"Kim, its ok. You have nothing to be sorry about," Trini assured her.

"We love you too; all of us," Jason added, kissing her hand. It was cold. He wondered if Trini noticed it too. From the look in her eyes, he guessed she had. Kimberly just nodded slightly. She took another labored breath, summoning her voice.

"Tell Tommy that I'll always love him," she struggled and took another breath. They waited for her to release it, but with each passing second they realized she was gone. Trini was the first to break down crying, still clinging to her friend's hand as the heart monitor let out a steady line, indicating her heart had stopped beating. Jason and Billy cried noiselessly while tears streamed down Zack's face. He glanced at the clock that read eight o'clock pm as he struck the wall with his fist.

Two hours later the four sat in Jason and Trini's living room, discussing what to do next. Where did

* * *

they go from that point on?

"Jason," Trini squeaked out. He looked up at her, his eyes red from crying. "You and Billy need to go find Tommy. He needs to know. I'll call the other's."

"Trini's right, Jase. You're the best person to tell him," Billy confirmed, and Jason slightly inclined his head forward in agreement.

"I'll help Trini make plans," Zack put in. He didn't have to say what the plans were for. They all knew, but saying it would make this real.

"Lets go, Billy," Jason said gruffly as he lead the way to the garage.

"Wait," Trini ran after them, pulling a white letter out of her purse. "Give this to him when you find him, she said, handing it to Billy. "She wrote it right before you got back."

"We will," Billy assured her, and kissed her cheek. Jason kissed her lips, pulling her into a hug.

"We've got the picture," he told her; Trini nodded, embracing him tightly.

"Bring him home safe with you," she told them. Both promised that they would, and she and Zack watched them leave on Jason's bike from the front door.

"They'll find him Trini. Come, we have our own job to do now."

* * *

Jason and Billy reached Reefside the next morning and immediately set about looking for him.

"Why don't we go into those shops over there and see if anyone knows anything?" Billy suggested as they pulled into a shopping area. Jason nodded, dismounting his bike and removing his helmet, placing his sunglasses on as Billy did the same. "I'll go check over there," Billy added, indicating a store on the left, before disappearing. Jason just sighed. There was no better place to start than the café in front of him.

The tall man entered and looked around. It reminded him slightly of the juice bar he and his frequented as teenagers; however, this place was empty at the moment.

"Can I help you?" a female voice asked after he'd removed his sunglasses. He jumped slightly, not realizing there were people present. He shrugged and approached the counter where a woman and four teenagers stood laughing. They looked like they were waiting on someone.

"I- I'm looking for someone, but I don't think he's here," Jason stuttered.

"Well, my name's Haley," the woman, who appeared to be the owner, replied. "This is Trent, Conner, Kira, and Ethan," she added, indicating the teens who wore white, red, yellow, and blue respectively. Jason's mind and his connection to the morphing grid quickly placed them as a team, and most likely part of the legacy he and his friends had started. But that could be discussed later. "Between the five of us, if the person you're looking for is in Reefside, we can probably help you find him."

He smiled slightly, thankful to have found someone willing to help. He pulled out the crumpled photo and set it infront of them. "Do you know him?" Jason asked the group, pointing at Tommy. The picture was of the original team, all seated or standing on the playground equipment at the park. Sixteen year old Zack was sitting on the monkey bars, Billy gripping one of his feet, while his other hand rested on Tommy's shoulder. Tommy sat on the equipment, Kimberly nestled between his arms. A young Jason stood on his other side, his arm draped around Tommy's shoulder. Trini was on the equipment, her arms around Jason's neck as she grinned over his shoulder.

"Dr. O?" the girl teen asked, studying the picture; he didn't remember what the lady had said her name was.

"What?" replied a voice from behind the teenagers. Jason poked his head around and let his eyes settle on the man in a black T-shirt and khaki pants. Realization that he was finally facing his best friend, over twelve hours too late struck him full force when Tommy whispered his name.

And in a moment, he was sobbing again. Only a moment later, he registered that he was sitting in a chair. He couldn't get the words out. He wanted too, but now it was too real. Until that moment, it had be a horrible dream.

Billy who'd been pacing outside the café that Jason had gone into finally lost his patience and walked in. Jason saw him. Billy could tell Tommy; he could tell their teammate what had happened.

Tommy was now looking from a sobbing Jason to Billy who was fighting his own tears. It was then that he felt his heart break; he felt the falcon scream in anguish and pain, louder then he'd ever felt it before; he knew what was coming.

"Billy! Will you just tell me what's going on?" he demanded. He knew he needed to hear what he already knew, somewhere deep in his heart. Billy handed him a white envelope with her handwriting scrawled on it. The first tear fell immediately.

"Kim- Tommy, she – Kimberly's dead, Tommy," Billy managed before tears flooded his eyes. "Last night; she never told us about the leukemia. Not until about a month ago. We looked for you. We knew you'd want to see her."

Tommy's life stopped. His heart skipped a beat as the news sank in.

"She should have told us. We could have found a way," Billy spoke, really talking to himself, guilt eating at him. "She looked peaceful in the end, when her pain was gone."

"No," Tommy pleaded.

"She looked like she was sleeping," Jason managed to add.

"No," he repeated, a bit louder.

"She's comfortable and happy now," Billy struggled between tears.

"No!" Tommy screamed before collapsing on the table, sobbing. This couldn't be happening. She couldn't be gone. She couldn't have left him; left them. She wouldn't have let this beat her.

Haley ushered the teens out of the cyber café, telling them it didn't look like Tommy would be up for celebrating them being home from college for a while. The teens agree, but made Haley promise to keep them updated.

* * *

The next day, Jason, Billy, and Tommy were planning to head back to angel grove. Haley would bring the teens the following day and stay in a hotel. The day after was to be Kimberly's funeral. When Jason woke that morning, on Tommy's couch, he found a not from his best friend, saying he'd gone to the beach. Jason sighed, and got dressed before rousing Billy, gently.

"He's at the beach, I'm going to get him," he explained. Billy understood that Jason meant for him to be ready to go. They would place Jason's bike in Tommy's jeep and all ride back together.

It took Jason about a half hour to find his teammate and friend, sitting in the sand, tears running down his face again as he stared out across the water.

"I didn't get to say goodbye," Tommy stated, brushing away tears.

"Its not too late," Jason reminded him. Tommy shook his head.

"I loved her, Jase. It's not fair."

"Life never is, bro. Did you open the letter?"

Tommy shook his head again. He still had it clutched in his hand.

"Come on. We'd better get going."

* * *

Two days later, Tommy sat between Trini and Kat at the chapel as Billy made the last of the speeches dedicated to Kimberly. They'd wanted him to make one, but he couldn't bring himself to. He'd barely said more than two words since he'd gotten to angel grove.

"The love she had for him was above and beyond anything any of us have ever felt before. As a kid I used to find myself wishing to have what they did; we all did. Some of us have found it, and some of us are still waiting; but it was that love that kept our Kimberly with us for as long as she was. And I know for a fact that even though she's no longer walking among us, he love for him is still as strong as ever. She'll be waiting for you, Tommy," Billy finished. Trini and Kat were sobbing as he helped them to their feet, handing Trini over to Jason, while Billy came down to support Kat for him. He didn't want support. He was alone; he would always be alone from now on.

He followed everyone to the aisle, kissing each of the girls on the cheeks and took his place at the head of the casket (the one thing he'd agreed to do) along with the other guys. Billy secretly slipped Kimberly's old communicator onto her stiff wrist, biting his lip to hold back tears. Tommy gave him a gentle pat on the shoulder as Jason, Zack, Adam, and Rocky all took places around the casket to carry it with them.

At the grave site, roses of each ranger color were placed in her casket. Tommy placed a white and pink one right over her heart before kissing her cold forehead. The casket was closed, lowered, and buried; Tommy stood and watched as they all went one by one to the head stone, each saying a final farewell. Finally it was his turn. He knelt in front of it and traced the words with his index finger: _Kimberly Ann Hart – loved more than words can ever say. She was our heart and soul. It's through her that we made it so many times. It was through her that we were strong. The crane will never fly alone._

Silently he pulled away and attended the wake with the rest of his friends, wearing a black, red, white, and green thread bracelet, although he mostly kept to himself. He finally read her letter alone on the porch of his best friends home, feeling what little remained of his heart shatter into millions of pieces. He finally began to sob; he finally accepted that his crane was gone. The falcon in him screamed again, wanting to be released to be with its mate. Only the presence of all his teammates kept it in his cage. The t-rex, mastodon, sabertooth tiger, the wolf, the frog, the ape, the bear, the terradactyl, and the yellow zeo spirit all kept the falcon held tight, soothing him as they connected their thread bracelets and hung them on the nail on the porch.

Tommy said his final farewell to her spirit and walked into the house, leaving the crane alone looking in through the window.

It would be a long time before she would have company and companionship, but that is a story for another day.

* * *

I hope you all enjoyed this, and I do have chapter 2 written and ready to be posted. I'm thinking of making this a weekly or biweekly fic, (probably biweekly since I've only just started chapter 3 (but the whole story is mapped out) and as a college student, it's a bit difficult to find writing time.) so that means that chapter 2 should be up on October 16th. If I think I can get it done on a weekly basis, look for the next chapter on Oct. 9th. 

Until next time

FatelessWanderer


	2. Parting from a Falcon

Ok, so I kind of accidentally lost the notebook where I'd been writing this, but I found it again, so I figured it would be update time. (plus I spent the past few days writing happy fics. I needed a different emotion.)

* * *

She always told us that death was not the end. I'd spoken to her several times while she was gone, training to be a famous gymnast. She never feared dying. She never really feared the moment when she would draw her last breath. Deep in her heart I knew she regretted not telling anyone; distancing herself from the group, from him. But she never feared because she new death was not the end.

Kimberly was right, death wasn't the end. As she lay in the hospital bed, she heard the sounds of the machines and her friends' sobbing slowly drift away. They were slowly replaced by the sounds of birds and running water. As her mortal eyes saw no more, her spirit's eyes opened to show her that she had not reached an end.

She found herself standing on a winding path, surrounded by a thin mist. The sounds of nature reached her through the curtain of fog, luring her off the path. She pushed her hand through, and finding no harm, she glided off the path, only to find herself in a familiar park. No longer was her body that of a sick twenty-eight year old woman, but rather she had regressed to a seventeen year old girl. Her hair was her own, restored to the shine it had had before she'd begun the chemotherapy treatments. Beside her was the playground she'd hung out on, fought aliens on. She smiled and continued to look around, noticing a small lake in the distance. She let a sad smile cross her face when she regonized it as the place where she and Tommy had shared their first kiss. She began to walk toward it, feeling like something invisible was drawing her sundress clad body toward it.

Kim dropped to her knees by the edge of the water, watching her reflection, really taking in every renewed inch of her body. She already missed them. What good was it being young and healthy if you were alone in a desolate park. Kimberly sighed, dropping her hand into the water. The moment her hand touched the cool surface, the water became more translucent until she no longer saw her reflection but rather she was looking down into the hospital room she'd just left. Startled, she drew her hand back, once again seeing the cool water's surface. Frowning, she plunged her hand into it. With her whole hand submerged, she heard just as much as she saw.

There was her body, lifeless and cold on the bed. Trini was sobbing, while a tearful eyed Jason tried to tug her away so doctor Mitchell could do her job. Billy's mouth was drawn in a tight line and he looked much older to her now. She saw the pain Zack was desperately trying to hide. She let a tear fall as she tried to reach out and comfort him. Her hand went right through him, reminding her of her reality.

Over the next few days Kimberly would sit by the lake with her hand in the water, watching and listening. She was there when they found Tommy. She felt his falcon scream, but the crane's response wasn't coming. She'd followed him to the beach the next day, trying to reach out again, but unable to. She'd cried the next day, refusing to put her hand in the lake again. It was pointless to be able to see and hear her friends but do nothing to comfort them.

However her curiosity overpowered her and she sat through her own funeral, wanting to scream out that she wasn't gone. She was right there. Kim left them for a while, and just lay in the grass, staring at the sky, just listening to her surroundings. She didn't know how much time passed. She never got tired, nor hungry, nor cold, or hot. She felt nothing but emotions, and she could tell that without the lake, she might even lose those too.

A sound broke through the near silence of her world. To her ears it sounded like a loud yell, but to her heart she could feel the different voices of her friends' powers calling out to hear, loudest of all was the falcon. Kimberly instinctively plunged her hand into the water, finding them all connected. She wanted to join their hug, but she couldn't. She wanted to tell them she loved them, but her voice didn't reach them. As they turned to go she reached with all her heart, afraid that this was her last chance.

"Tommy! Wait," she called, feeling the once dormant crane call out as well. When he didn't respond she turned and began to pull her hand out, but his voice caught her and she returned it immediately. Had he heard her? Could he see her?"

"Beautiful, for some reason, I know you're there. I don't know how, but I can feel it. So I'll say it now, as it may be my only chance. I love you more than I want to. I love you so much it hurts, and I would do anything to be with you again, but I won't. I'll honor your wishes in the letter you wrote me. Yes, you should have told me. Maybe then saying goodbye wouldn't be so hard. But I'm not going to say goodbye," he paused and smiled. She loved his smile. She wanted to kiss that smile. "I'm going to say that we all love you, and someday, we'll all be together again. It's not going to be the same without you, but I can wait until its time to fly with you again."

She tried to respond, to tell him she loved him, but she couldn't. She just had to accept that he knew she did. In the far recessed of her mind she heard something beeping. Gazing down at her wrist, she rubbed her hand over a communicator that hadn't been there a moment before. She whispered an I love you and drew her hand out of the water knowing she was being called by a friend, and wanting nothing more to see him and get some answers.

* * *

Over the years Kimberly learned the secrets of her world; she learned that she'd always been right: death was not the end. She'd learned that her mentor, Zordon had never left left them. He'd been beside them whenever he wanted, whenever they'd needed him, and she learned to do the same for her friends.

A little over a year after she'd passed on, she stood beside Trini at the alter when her best friend said "I do" to Jason, just as she'd always promised she would. Kim even guided the bouquet straight into Aisha's lap, one of the only women not trying for it. Aisha seemed to know it was Kim's doing, and took it as a sign. Two days later she'd command Rocky to propose to her, which he happily did.

Kimberly attended man more weddings, birthdays, births, and holiday get togethers, always sitting in the empty seat next to Tommy that they always left for her. He always came and left alone. Whether he knew she was there or not, Kimberly wasn't sure. In the ten years she'd watched them all grow and their family expand, she never saw him smile the way he'd smiled on the porch after her funeral. She wanted him to smile like that again.

One morning he asked her the same question he always did. Could he come be with her yet? And everyday she answered him "No, not yet, they need you." But that morning she couldn't. All she could think of was his face without its smile, and she didn't answer; not that he ever heard her response. Instead she just tagged along with him for the day.

It was Alexander's sixth birthday, and Tommy was down on the floor in the living room playing with his oldest nephew, tickling the boy until he collapsed helplessly into his uncle's warm embrace. One of Tommy's friends stuck her head into the livingroom from the kitchen.

"Tommy, you're going to tire him out before the party even starts," the boys mother told her friend. Tommy just grinned, stood the boy up, and gave him a light tap to send him on his way.

"Sorry Trini," Tommy responded, pushing himself to his feet and walking into the kitchen. His eight year old niece Candace was sitting at the table eating her breakfast, while her father was reading the paper. Tommy kissed the top of her head, and sat beside her. "Anything interesting, Jase?" Tommy asked, picking up the sports page.

"Nothing much. That kid, Cole Evans, you remember him?"

"Ummm… yeah, he was the really enthusiastic one. Poor kid, nearly fainted when he saw you," Tommy responded, keeping the conversation limited, since Candace was in the kitchen. Her mother, told her if she was careful she could finish eating in the living room. The eight year didn't hesitate to leave; her favorite cartoons were on. Jason shook his head at his daughter anymore, and gave Trini a look of gratitude as the former yellow ranger sat down at the table beside him.

"Rookies. Anyway, says here he's organizing a nation wide wildlife conservation program based here in California," Jason continued.

Tommy nodded. "Looks like we all find a way to move on once the power's gone," he told his friend, and glanced out the window at the circular loop, with the crane charm on it hanging from the porch. He remembered when Candace had first asked about it. She had been sitting on the bench watching Tommy and Jason spar. Her mother had been inside feeding Alex his bottle at the time. Candace had told her uncle she wanted to be a gymnast when she grew up, after Tommy told her about Kimberly. The thought had always made him smile. She'd been so proud when she brought home her first trophy.

"We do," Trini confirmed. "And in light of moving on, I've got to finish setting up for this party. And you two should be helping," Trini told them, looking expectantly from her husband to Tommy.

"What's there to do, Trin?" Jason asked her, not taking his eyes off the paper he was holding. Tommy finally turned his eyes away from the window, and looked at her, eyebrows raised, as if to say, "I'm not his father".

"Well, I could use a hand decorating, and one of you needs to go get the cake."

"I'll get the cake," Jason said, jumping up and grabbing the car keys. "Hey Candy-girl, want to go with Daddy to go get Alex's birthday cake?" he asked going into the kitchen, Tommy glaring at him for taking the easy job, and following.

"Nope," Candace replied.

"Why not?"

"I'm helping mommy," she replied, matter-of-factly. She took her plate and cup back into the kitchen and placed them in the sink, before getting her step stool to help wash the dishes. Jason shook his head.

"How about you Alex? Want to go get your cake?" Jason asked his son who was sitting on the living room floor playing with a toy truck. The boy head his mother's black hair, but otherwise he was the splitting image of his father, where as, Candace had much more delicate features, but her father's athletic nature. She wasn't as patient as her mother and brother.

"Ok," Alex said after a moment. He stood up and followed his father out to the car. Tommy tried to follow.

"Where do you think you're going, Dr. Oliver?" Trini teased. Tommy cringed, and turned around, running his hand through his hair.

"Uh… I was looking for the decorations?" he asked, hoping it was the right answer. Trini just smiled and hit him lightly with the dish towel.

"Nice try, decorations are on the coffee table in the living room," Trini told him, disappearing into the kitchen when she heard the sound of water hitting the floor. Obviously Candace had gotten a bit over enthusiastic with the dish washing. Tommy shook his head as he heard the sounds of Trini panicking. He'd just sat down on the couch to look through the decorations when Candace emerged from the kitchen, her pink shirt drenched.

"You should go change," he told her when she sat down next to him, picking up a pack of balloons, and pulled them open. She shook her head, and began to blow up the balloons, kicking her feet on the edge of the couch. Tommy smiled at her. Of course she wouldn't change. She was too afraid she'd miss something. Bed time for Candace was a nightmare. She just didn't want anything to happen without her. He resumed his task of decorating, and was joined by Trini, and later Jason when he returned with the karate cake Alex had wanted. The kids ran off to play outside, Trini begging them not to get dirty.

Fifteen minutes before the party was supposed to start, the doorbell rang. Tommy put down the balloon he was hanging, and went to get it, since Trini had gone to get Candace and Alex to change to party clothes, and Jason was trying to mount the piñata. He opened the door and was attacked by three little children. The force of them all hitting his legs nearly sent him backwards, and he stooped to hug each of them.

"Uncle Tommy!" The three five and a half year olds were like little monkies. They were hanging on him and jumping and yelling only moments after he'd greeted the other three members of the family behind them.

"Rocky; Your children are insane," he told the man, as Aisha escorted Toby, Margret, and Louis, the triplet terrors, at least that's what Zack called them, into the living room.

"Hey don't blame me. They get it from their mother," he told his friend, shaking his hand. Aisha looked back over her shoulder when the three kids ran to tackle their other uncle, who had jumped off the ladder the moment he realized who was at the door. She stuck her tongue out at both Rocky and Tommy, while Tommy bent down to lift the sixth member of the DeSantos family into a bear hug.

"And how is my little Allie-cat?" he asked the seven year, as she threw her arms around his neck. White the triplets and Alison all had a skin tone between their mother and father, there was no doubting that Alison looked more like her dad. No to mention the fact that she was daddy's little girl, a role she wasn't overly willing to share with Margret. Where the younger three were hyper and always ready for fun, Allie was much more reserved and quiet.

"I'm good," she replied. "Can I go play with Candace now?" she asked, squirming in his arms. Tommy gave her a mock hurt look, kissed her on the head and put her on the ground.

"Sure kiddo," he replied.

"Say hi to Uncle Jason and Aunt Trini first," Rocky called after her, as he and Tommy walked into the living room once more. The triplets had abandoned Jason who was back up on the ladder, in favor of finding ways to get into trouble with Alex. Margret was the boss, Toby the comedian, Louis the sweet one, and Alex was the mediator. Usually, they got along perfectly, at least until Margret decided they should spy on Candace and Allie. Then things usually got out of control. Aisha was in the kitchen helping Trini, with the food for the adults.

Jason finally got the piñata done, and Tommy hung up the last balloon, as they plopped down on the couch and the door bell rang again.

"Its open," Jason shouted, breaking from the conversation with his friends for a moment. The house was already starting to sound like a circus, and it wasn't helped by the sound of more running. A boy with short curly black hair launched himself into Rocky's arms.

"Josh, you're going to kill your uncle if you keep doing that," Tanya told her son, as she entered the living room. She placed the birthday gift on the table beside the ones from his parents, Tommy, and the DeSantos family, and moved to help Rocky disengage the four year old from his neck. No sooner was Rocky free, than the child latched onto to Tommy. Tanya gave up, as Adam finally got the baby stroller into the house. The former ranger just shook his head at the boy who was sitting on Jason's lap talking about everything in the world.

"I swear, that boy isn't mine," he remarked. While Tanya wasn't nearly as reserved and shy as Adam was, no one knew exactly where the talk-a-tive nature of the toddler had come from. Tanya lifted the eight month old baby girl from the stroller, and pulled a bottle out of the bag.

"Course he's not; I told you about the mail man, didn't I?" she joked, kissing the stunned Adam on the cheek and disappearing into the kitchen with baby Lillian. Adam stared after her.

"Give it up man, she won," came a voice from the entrance way. The guys looked from Adam to the new comer in the doorway.

"Hi Zack!" all three women called from the kitchen.

"Hey ladies. Angela says hi, and she's sorry she couldn't come, but being sick and all, she didn't want to be around all the kids," Zack told them, placing three year old Jessica on the floor and adding another gift to the pile. She and Josh took off down the hall toward the kids rooms, as Adam and Zack joined the other guys on the couch.

Conversation resumed before the doorbell rang again. Trini went to answer it, as the other women entered the living room. Trini returned carrying a six year old girl in her arms, leading two more of their friends. The moment the child saw Tommy she reached out towards him. Trini handed her over to the child's other favorite "relative". Tommy just bounced the very quiet Abigail on his lap, as Haley plopped down next to him, hugging him around the neck.

"So, the genius family decided to join us common folk after all?" Rocky said, as Billy added a gift to pile and went to sit beside his wife. Tommy had released Abigail who went to find Alex and the triplets. Together the five of them were dangerous. Unfortunately, dangerous wasn't what they had to worry about. Once single mother Kat had arrived with her son Brandon, they were all doomed. Tommy had always said the six of them reminded him of themselves.

Billy glared at Rocky for a moment as the group laughed. The party was in full swing, even without the remaining guests, and the children were running around, getting underfoot, and making royal pains of themselves, well before Kat arrived. No one noticed Brandon until they heard crying. Josh sat on the floor, bawling his eyes out, pointing at the larger six year old blond boy who was holding Alex's fire truck and glaring at him. It took them all a few minutes to get Josh to calm down, and Brandon was put in time out for stealing the fire truck. Margret had taken it upon herself to scold him, and as a result found herself in another corner, her father standing over her.

"Is it safe to come in?" a new voice asked from the doorway. Tommy who was closest looked to see Conner and Ethan standing in the doorway. Tommy nodded, and the two entered, adding more gifts to the ever growing pile.

"We could hear you all the way down the street," Trent said, helping Kira into the house, as the two followed their friends.

"Next time I vote we all just take one big bus," Kira told them. "It'll save parking spaces," she added, placing her and Trent's gift beside the rest, and then finding a seat on the couch beside Aisha and Tanya.

"How are you feeling, Kira?" Trini asked her as Trent brought his wife a glass of punch.

"Huge," Kira responded, causing all the girls to laugh.

"When's the due date?" Adam asked her, knowing it was soon.

"The doctor said any day now. I'm so ready for this to be over," she said, laughing a bit.

"Can we please talk about something other than my former student being pregnant?" Tommy asked, looking uneasy. "It makes me feel old."

"You are old," Ethan told him.

"Gee, thanks." Tommy said dryly, as the party resumed.

It was only a five hour party, but it felt like forever. Alex had enthusiastically opened his presents, throwing wrapping paper everywhere. Jason who'd agreed to be on trash duty had to race around the living room to collect it so that Trini wouldn't glare at him from leaving a mess. Trent and Kira had bought the six year old a portable CD player; Conner had bought him a soccer ball; Ethan had given the boy a video game for his game boy; From Kat and Brandon, Alex got a red watch; Billy, Haley, and Abby got him a set of books on karate; Zack and Jessica gave the boy dance CD, which he immediately wanted to put in his CD player; Adam, Tanya, Josh, and Lily got him a pair of soccer cleats; Rocky, Aisha, Allie, Toby, Margret, and Louis got him a punching bag; Candace gave her brother a home made card; Jason and Trini had redone his whole room with a mixture of Karate and Soccer themes; lastly, Tommy gave the boy a ticket to the Angel Grove Karate and Gymnastics finals in a month. When Candace looked jealous, Tommy handed her an envelope revealing another ticket. The eight year old had immediately launched her self against him, and then run off to go call her friend Susan.

By the time they'd all eaten cake, and broken the piñata (during which Brandon had given Rocky a black eye with the bat), Lily, Josh, and Jessica were sound asleep, Kira was falling asleep; Brandon and Margret were being more bossy than usual, Abby and Alex were even quieter than they usually were, and Toby and Louis were just plain cranky. Allie was looking through Jason and Trini's wedding album on the table, with Candace. The party broke up slowly, eventually leaving only Jason, Trini, Tommy, Billy, and Haley in the house. Abby and Alex had finally fallen asleep on the couch, and Candace had curled up in front of the TV watching cartoons again, while the adults cleaned up the mess.

"So, when are you going to settle down, and add another Oliver to world?" Haley asked Tommy, who was helping Jason get the remains of the piñata off the ceiling. He looked at her and shook his head. "Come on, even Kira and Trent have started a family. Ethan and that girl Megan he's been seeing are getting really serious, and I caught Conner looking at engagement rings at the mall. I think he's going to ask Annie soon. What about you?"

"I'm perfectly content being the fun loving uncle with no commitments," Tommy retorted, stepping off the ladder.

"What about that nice girl Stacey?" Trini asked him, bringing in coffee for them all. "You seemed to be getting pretty serious about her. I'm sure she'd love to go with you and the kids to the finals."

"No," Tommy told her. "I don't think so. It's not right," he said sitting down. Jason and Billy had brought Abby and Alex into the boy's room so their conversation wouldn't wake them.

"What was wrong with her?" Haley asked, as her husband sat down beside her.

Tommy shook his head, and sat back, looking at the cartoons on the tv. Candace seemed lost in them. It was her favorite one. The main character was a teenage gymnast who could transform into a pink super hero, who fought aliens along with her four friends: a girl in blue, a boy in green, another boy in yellow, and the last was a good alien who was red. Candace had told him that the girl had a crush on the new kid at school, but she didn't go out with him even though he liked her back because she didn't want him to know she was the pink super samurai.

"Tommy, no one is going to be exactly like Kimberly," Billy told him. Tommy's eyes flashed with anger, as he glared at his friends.

"You think that's what I want?"

"Well, yeah bro, we do," Jason told him.

"You're wrong. I just don't want to go out with Stacey, or anyone else for that matter," Tommy told them.

"Alright, fine," Haley snapped. "You don't have to be so defensive."

"I wouldn't have to be if you'd all keep your noses out of my business," he yelled back, startling Candace, who jumped and looked back at the adults.

"Candy-girl, go finish watching your show in your room please," Jason told her.

"She doesn't have to. I'm leaving." Tommy said, getting up and walking out of the house. Just as he reached the car he felt someone tug on his pants. He turned around and saw Candace standing beside him, tears in her eyes.

"Aww, Candy-cane, I'm sorry I scared you," he told her, kneeling so he was eye level with the girl.

"You really miss her, huh, Uncle Tommy?" the girl asked. "Mommy said you never loved anyone as much as you loved Aunt Kimberly."

"That's not true," Tommy told her, hugging her. "I love you just as much."

"Really?"

"Yep. You're my little crane," he told her, standing and kissing her head again. "Now go back inside. Tell your parents, Aunt Haley, and Uncle Billy I'll talk to them later. I'll see you in a few weeks for the finals."

"Ok, Uncle Tommy," she replied before running back onto the porch and waving goodbye like she always did. He waved back, knowing she wouldn't go inside until he was out of sight. Tommy sighed and climbed into his car, and started the motor up. He put the vehicle in reverse and began backing out of the driveway and onto the street. He never saw the eighteen wheeler come barreling down the road. He never heard the screech of tires. He heard the sound of crunching metal as truck slammed into the drivers side door, shattering the windows.

Airbags pushed against his body, but he couldn't feel them. There was nothing around him but white. He knew he was bleeding and broke, but that didn't seem to matter. All that mattered was her. Kimberly stood in front of him looking like the seventeen year old she'd been the last time he'd seen her, when the turbo rangers had broken the spell that made her and Jason evil. She had a smile on and was wearing a pink and white dress. "You can come be with me now. I need you," she told him, reaching her hand out. He hesitated a moment unsure, as he heard footfalls running towards him. He knew if he didn't take her hand, he might live. "It's alright, I promise," she encouraged, tears in her eyes. "They're ready to let you go," she added, giving him her hand. He nodded and gripped it tightly and felt himself being lifted up, out of his body.

Candace's scream had brought the adults running. Trini dropped to her knee's and held Candace to her, as she stared at the crumpled jeep that was turned on it's side, completely destroyed, while the front of the eighteen wheeler looked crunched up. Candace sobbed against her mother, unsure of what was going on. Trini felt her heart break, knowing that even as Jason and Billy raced to the jeep and Haley ran to call 911, it was too late. He was gone, but she felt he wasn't alone, as tears fell down her face.

"Trini! Get Candace inside now," Jason's voice called. "Trini! Now! Don't let her see," he said, snapping her out of her trance. She nodded slowly and picked up the little girl, bringing her into the house.

"Trini?" Haley asked, through her own tears. The woman shook her head, and Haley raced back outside.

"Haley, don't. Stay with Trini," Billy yelled, seeing his wife. Jason was on the ground, holding Tommy's head in his own arms. There was blood all over his arms and hands, and several smears on his t-shirt. Billy was just as bad as he kneeled, holding Tommy's lifeless hand in his own. Haley just leaned against a porch column and began to sob into her hands.

* * *

Later that night, after the ambulance had taken his body away, Jason, Trini, and Billy sat in the living room. Trini was once more on the telephone. Haley came out of one of the bed rooms.

"The kids asleep?" Billy asked her as Trini hung up the phone. Haley nodded.

"What's wrong, Trini?" Jason asked his wife who'd gone paler than she already was.

"I can't reach Kira or Trent. Neither is answering their phones. You don't think…"

"No, I'm sure they're fine. Call Conner," Haley told her. Trini nodded and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Conner?"

"Hey Trini, what's going on?"

"We're trying to get in touch with Trent and Kira but they're not answering and we're worried that something's happened…" Trini replied, panicking. Jason pressed the speaker phone button.

"Relax Trini. Kira's just gone into labor. I'm on my way to the hospital now. Why would you think something had happened?" Conner responded, confused. Trini tried to answer, but couldn't find her voice. She started to cry. How could it be so cruel that Kira's baby be born the same day he left them. Haley began sobbing as well. "Trini?" Conner asked, getting nervous and pulling the car over.

"Conner," Jason began, taking a breath. "Conner, Tommy died tonight. His jeep was hit by a truck," he said. Conner nearly dropped the phone.

"Dr. O?" he said, half crying, in a whisper.

"I'm sorry, Conner," Jason said, starting to cry again. "He went really quick and painless. He didn't suffer." The other end was silent.

"Conner? You there?" Billy asked, scared by the younger man's silence.

"Yeah, I just –" they could tell he was crying. "It's a lot to process. I – I thought he was – he was supposed to be invincible." They all knew what Conner meant. They'd all felt the same way, but they didn't say anything. "I'm just going to sit here a minute. I'll tell Ethan, Trent, and Kira. Oh, god, Kira. How can I tell her this now?"

"Do you want us to?" Jason asked.

"No; the power's gone, but the team's still mine. It's my responsibility," Conner replied, brushing away tears.

"You sure?" Billy asked.

"Yeah, I'm going to go."

"Alright, but we're here if you need us." Conner just mumbled a thanks, and hung up the phone, sitting on the side of the road. He leaned against the steering wheel and sobbed.

* * *

A few days later, Jason stood beneath a tree in the cemetery, Trini leaning against him, Candace attached to his other side. He held a red rose, while Trini held a yellow one. His daughter held a pink rose. He looked around him. On the street beside the plots rested a limo full of children, all who barely understood what was going on, and all who were currently asleep. To his left, Zack stood, his wife Angela's arms around him, supporting him, a black rose in his hand. Billy and Haley were to the right, leaning against one another for strength, Billy holding a blue rose. Beside Zack, Adam stood Tanya in his arms. Tanya was crying, and Adam looked like he was desperately trying not to, each was holding a rose that matched their respective colors (adam's was a rose dyed both green and black). Rocky stood beside them with Aisha, Alison between them. Once again, each of the adults carried a rose that matched their power colors; Allie held a white rose in her trembling hands. Kat leaned against Tanya, a pink rose in her hand, on hand over her mouth, trying to conceal her sobs. Kira held her and Trent's newborn daughter Tabitha, named for both her father and her recently departed uncle, in her arm, a yellow rose in her other hand. She had her face buried in Trent's neck, sobbing violently as the priest continued speaking. Conner and Ethan stood on either side of their friends, looking at the ground. Each of the three men had a rose that matched their colors as well.

Many other ranger teams were in attendance; some just partial teams, many of them former red rangers who had fought alongside Tommy and Jason on the moon mission. Finally, the priest finished his speech, and all of the former rangers, save the remaining original nine, walked up and deposited their rose into the casket. Trent had to drag Kira away, as she almost collapsed beside the wooden box.

Jason asked that everyone else leave at that point. When the priest hesitated, Conner and Ethan insisted, nearly dragging the man away. Everyone else complied, knowing that Tommy's "family" would want to be with him alone. Haley leaned up and kissed Billy on the cheek. Angela did the same to Zack, and together the two women joined the Dino Thunder rangers beside the black limo with the children. The six of them leaned against it, watching Jason step up beside the casket. From the car, they could still hear what was going on, but they were giving the first rangers their privacy.

Jason turned and looked inside the casket. Billy had made sure Tommy's old communicator was in place on the man's wrist that morning. Haley had had to search for it in the mess Tommy'd called home. It had been hard going through all his things. He was dressed in a black suit, with a white shirt, a green tie, and a red rose pinned to the jacket. Three roses surrounded his head: red, green, and black. Jason felt the first tear fall, as he turned back to his friends, his daughter, and his niece.

"I don't even know where to start. Tommy was more than a friend to me. He was my brother. He was the god father to my children. He was the best man at my wedding. He was the one person I would blindly follow into any battle and not be scared because I knew if he was there I'd be alright. I knew from the moment we became friends that it was a friendship that would last, one that wasn't going to end, no matter what. And despite the fact that we did lose contact with one another for a while, our friendship returned stronger than ever. He helped Trini through the birth of Candace when I got stuck in New York on business. He was there when Alex was sick. He was always there when one of us or our kids were in danger. He never missed a birthday, or a Christmas. He was the hero, the leader, the one that held us all together. We could call him at all hours and he'd be there.

"Tommy was all of our leaders at one point. He lead us into countless situations we didn't know we'd come back from. But we never doubted him. We never once thought he'd get us killed, because we know he'd risk himself for anyone of us without second thought.

"He never gave up on us. Not once. No when were arguing, or when Kimberly and I were kidnapped all those years ago.

"And when we were young, and he was broken hearted, he pulled himself together for the good of the team. Not because he wanted to help himself, but because he knew he needed to be there for us.

"These past ten years have been hard on him. They've been hard on all of us. When Kimberly died, it was as if part of Tommy died too. But again, he pulled himself together, and stayed in our lived because we were a team, and he knew we needed him. I can't imagine what life would have been like this last decade if he wasn't in our lives.

"Tommy was our light in the dark. He always will be. And even though it hurts that he's gone, we know he's finally happy. He's with Kimberly again, where he belongs. We've got to be happy for them, because they wouldn't want us to feel like it was our fault. One day we'll all be together. Death does not mean the end." Jason was crying fully by the time he'd finished his speech. None of his friends had dry eyes. Allison and Candace had turned to grab their parents tighter. Jason constantly thought they were too young for this, but the girls had been Tommy's favorite and they had both loved him so much. He looked down at Tommy's body again, and tried to smile. "I'll miss you bro," he whispered, kissed his rose and laid it down. Trini followed and added her own. Next was Billy, and then Zack. Rocky went next, followed by Aisha and then Adam, and then Kat, and Tanya put hers in last, reforming a group on the other side of the casket. Jason looked back at the two little girls. He pulled a untied thread loop from his pocket and went over to him, hugging both of them in his arms. Both girls were crying but they stood straight as Jason untied the loop and handed it and a white falcon charm to Alison. She tied the falcon beside the already existing crane and handed the loop to Candace, who handed her the pink rose she held. Alison put the roses together, and Candace wrapped the tread the roses, knotting them tightly together, and then took the small bundle from her "cousin". Together, the two approached the casket, and Candace set the two roses on top of Tommy's heart. Jason sent them back to their mothers, and finally closed the top of the casket, glancing at the tomb stone beside it. "Our leader in life; Our hero; Our spirit; Our freedom; Our love", he murmured, reciting the words carved on the white marble beside the pink stone. He turned to see that the other had left him alone with the two graves. They'd piled into the cars, leaving one for him to take back when he was ready.

Jason knelt at the base of the two graves, and let the tears fall for a few minutes. He felt a slight pressure on his left shoulder.

Jason turned to see who was with him, but all he saw was a bit of transparent white. He lifted his own hand and touched his shoulder, a small smile creeping on his lips, as the white mingled with a bit of pink. "Thanks guys," he whispered. "Thanks for telling me you're together. I'll miss you, but we'll be together one day." He stood up and walked back to the last remaining car.

* * *

Sorry it took so long to get that up. I never meant to go so long. I hope it'll never happen again.

Fateless Wanderer


	3. The End of a Song

I'm sure that if you had the chance to ask him, Tommy would have told you that there was only one time when he was absolutely sure of something; and that was when he gave up living, knowing that Kimberly waited for him on the other side.

When he first stepped off the path, through the mist, much less fearful than his female counter part had been, he took a breath of relief. He knew he'd arrived in heaven; not because he now appeared no older than seventeen, or because of the sheer beauty of the landscape but because of the figure standing directly in front of him, smiling, and wearing a short sundress that blew in the nearly non-existent wind.

He knew he should yell at her. He knew he should be angry with her for everything she'd done to him in the past; but all his anger had faded when he saw her smiling at him. Waiting for him. He didn't hesitate, but grabbed her immediately, his hands groping places he had never had the guts to touch when they really were teenagers. Neither cared. They were alone, and even if they weren't, they'd wasted too much time; now they had eternity.

"I missed you," he said between ravenous kisses. Kimberly only moaned in pleasure in response. The past ten years had been a lonely time, but heaven had just become more pleasurable.

The reunited couple spent hours lost in the throws of passion before either even thought to break apart. Kimberly finally pushed his now naked body off of her own, and lay panting, her skin glowing, and her breathing short and steady. Their clothing lay scattered over the perfectly manicured lawn.

"This must have been what Adam and Eve felt like," she giggled. Tommy gave a small bit of laughter in response before rolling back on top of her.

"I like our version better," he said, kissing her forehead and letting his kisses trail down her body.

"Stop," she panted. "I need a break," she laughed, once again pushing his muscular body off her own. "Besides, I need to show you something."

"You've shown me plenty already. You've shown me your kisses, your warmth, your passion, your breasts, oh and your…"

"Alright, already," she laughed. "I'm serious. You need to see this," she finally pulled herself to her feet and gathered her clothing. Pouting, Tommy followed suit.

Alone for a moment, he finally allowed himself to think. He wasn't just with Kimberly; he was dead, unable to ever leave and be with his friends again. The small piece of sadness that had been former in his heart suddenly got a whole lot larger as a lump formed in his throat.

"Tommy?"

"Kim… I'm dead," he told her, swirling around, pants on, shirt clutched in his hand, tears in his eyes.

"I know handsome," Kimberly answered solemnly, buttoning her dress.

"But I'm really dead. I left them Kim; and I yelled…" he started crying, remembering his last words to his friends.

"Shh… baby, its alright," Kimberly told him, wrapping her arms around him.

"No, its not. I – never – no warning," he managed to choke out. Kim kissed him lightly on the forehead.

"Its not all fun and game's here," she whispered, pulling him to his feet. "Come," she added, leading him to the lake.

"Our first kiss," Tommy mumbled, whipping his eyes on his arm. She nodded.

"It's a special place," she agreed, sitting down in a very worn patch of grass, and patting the seat beside her. Tommy sat down. "Who are you thinking about?" she asked him.

"Jason and Trini and…" he started.

She took his hand and plunged his hand into the water. Tommy looked at her, confused. She told him to look and he did as she commanded; she'd been there longer.

Tommy took a sharp breath when he looked into the water. Gone was the reflection of the young teenager with long hair seated by his teenager girlfriend. In its place was a dark living room, nearly silent save the occasional quiet hiccup that followed prolonged sobbing. Kimberly placed her hand on his shoulder for comfort and watched with him.

Jason paced back and forth in the room, Trini sat in the chair in the corner. "You should sit," she told him, her voice wavering as if she would cry again.

"I can't. This is my fault. If I hadn't pushed so hard," he responded, anger in his voice.

"Jason, it wasn't your fault. I wasn't anyones."

"Damn it, Trini! Why didn't he watch where he was going? He's always been more careful."

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea," his wife responded. Candace was curled up asleep in her mother's arms; she was the source of the hiccups. Jason looked at Trini. "He'd given up. He didn't have to be careful because he didn't have anything to be careful for."

"Kim?" Jason asked. Trini nodded. "I hoped he could move on; find peace, be here with us," he told her.

Tommy felt his heart break. He'd caused this discussion. "Jase, it's not your fault," he started, but Kim shook her head, pulling his arm from the water.

"He can't hear you," she told him. "He'll be able to feel your presence, though, the longer you stay here." She placed her own hand in and touched Jason's shoulder, trying to reassure him.

"But I heard you? Or I thought I did? At the wake, I felt the crane."

"Its takes the strongest emotion to reach across, and it has to be pure; it has to be pure love," she replied. "No sadness, no anger, no guilt."

"Could we?" he asked, searching her eyes for answers.

"Maybe one day," she spoke, kissing him lightly. "For now, there's someone else here who probably wants to see you," she told him, touching his wrist. Tommy looked down at the communicator materializing on his wrist.

"How?"

"Everything you've seen and you question that?" You may be my handsome, but you're hopeless," she laughed, kissing him again as they both teleported.

* * *

Over the course of the next few days, Tommy learned more about his new plain of existence than he wanted to. He also learned the boredom that came with it. There was always time to think, which in his case, wasn't a good thing. He missed his friends, his family. Yeah, he had Kim at his side, but other than her, he was alone.

Occasionally he'd leave her side to go off on his own and mourn his own loss. It was during the course of one of those times when he felt a hand on his shoulder. Instinct told him to attack first, ask questions later, and he immediately swung his body in a circle, his fist landing right in the stomach of his attacker who gasped and doubled over.

"Oh my god," he freaked out. "Kim, I'm so sorry."

Kimberly just stared at him, trying to catch her breath. She'd felt the air get pushed out of her lungs. She paused for a moment before standing up as if nothing had happened. Tommy stared at her, horrified and confused.

"No pain here," she told him. "You just surprised me."

Tommy's faced changed to anger. "No pain? What next? First I'm never tired, I'm never hungry. I feel nothing but a storm of psychotic emotions. That God damned lake shows me everything, but gives me nothing! Kim, how could you stand it? How could you just watch and deal with the agony of not being able to do anything," Tommy yelled, crying by the time he'd finished. Kimberly went to him and wrapped her arms around him gently. He pushed her away, angrily. He blamed her. He'd trusted her. She said everything would be ok, when it wasn't. Kim looked away, hurt, but respected his wishes.

"I learned to deal when I learned I could influence little things. I could make their lives better," she told him. "Like Aisha catching the bouquet at Trini and Jason's wedding."

"But you never made my life any better," Tommy threw at her.

"I tried! But you closed your heart to me. How do you think Stacey kept ending up in the same place as you? Coincidence?"

"That was you?" Tommy said, finally turning to look at her.

"Of course, it was. I never wanted you to be so alone. It broke my heart to watch you. I just wanted to see you smile again," she answered, coming closer to him.

"I smiled," he retorted.

"Not like you did on the porch. That smile is engraved in my heart, and I saw it again the day you died when you took my hand. I know now, only I could make you smile like that," she told him. "I'm sorry I caused you so much pain."

"Don't be," he told her. I wanted to die that day. Subconsciously. Jason and Trini were right. I wanted to be with you."

"You are now," she answered, touching his shoulder. He didn't pull away, but he turned his head. "Look at me?" He did.

"But is this real?" Is any of it?" he asked her.

"You tell me," she answered, kissing him lightly, then crying with him. "I miss them too, but just like you said: One day, we'll all be together again."

* * *

Over the years Tommy and Kim's relationship changed. They learned more about each other than they ever had before, and they became guardian angels for the rest of their family who remained alive. Tommy had even arranged so that when earth next needed a team of Power Rangers, his nieces and nephews would be there to take the power. And he and Kimberly gave their blessing, dipping their hands into the lake every so often to check up on things; even happily attending the teams final victory party when earth was again saved from Alien attack.

One day, about thirteen years after he'd come to join Kimberly, Tommy sat against a tree trunk tickling the back of her neck with a blade of grass while she napped. Her eyes snapped open when a light raindrop hit her hand.

"No! No! Not now," she cried sitting up.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"It's starting to rain!" He just looked at her as if she was nuts. "Tommy, has it ever rained in the thirteen years you've been here?"

"Um… no."

"It's only rained here one other time. The day you died," Kimberly told him.

"Which means, one of our friends is going to die?" Tommy finished, realization dawning on his face as he scrambled to his feet. They had to get to the lake. "Can we stop it?"

"No. We can't interfere. Just be there to ease the transition," Kimberly stated, falling to her knees at the lake's edge and plunging her hand in as the rain began to fall in sheets, soaking everything and the two of them. Tommy felt a tear drop as he knelt beside, cautiously placing his hand into the rippling lake.

* * *

"Mom! Josh won't quit bugging me," a young girl, about thirteen years old came into the kitchen of a small suburban home where a woman was busy making a school lunch. Her husband sat at the table by the window sipping a cup of coffee and reading the newspaper.

"Josh, quit annoying your sister," the woman called as a fairly medium skinned teenage boy came into the kitchen, his black curry hair falling into his deep brown eyes. He hopped onto a bar stool and grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter. "And get a haircut," the woman pleaded with him. The seventeen year old, high school senior smiled back.

"But I like it this way," he argued.

"Listen to your mother. You look like a shaggy dog," the man at the table said.

"Yeah," the teenage girl through in, sticking her tongue out at her brother, who rolled his eyes in response.

"Lily, be nice or you'll be walking to school," her father warned her. She just nodded and began to tie her shoes.

"But really mom, Jess likes it this way," the older child argued back.

"Oh does she?" his mother laughed, seeing the blush on her son's face. "At least get it trimmed after school?"

"Alright mom," he promised, tossing the core of his apple in the trash can and kissing her cheek. "Bye mom; love you. Come on squirt, I'll give you a ride. Love ya, dad," he added with a wave. His parents responded and waved back.

"Coming," Lily called after her older brother as her mom handed her a the bagged lunch. "Bye mom, bye daddy; Love you both," she said giving each a kiss and dashing out the door where Josh was already starting his car. "Joshua! Get back here!"

"I swear, they're not mine," the man said shaking his head as his wife sat down beside him.

"I already told you about the mail man, Adam," she replied as usual, kissing his cheek. "I've got some errands to run after work today. Need anything?"

"Nope. I'm not needed at the fire house tonight, so I'll make dinner," he suggested. She nodded and grabbed her purse and car keys.

"Bye Adam, I love you," she said. It was custom in their home to say I love you every time someone left, but only the parents knew the reason why.

"Love you too," he replied.

"But I love you more," she laughed, going out the door.

"Tanya!" Adam called. She turned around to look at him. "I love you most. Have a good day." She smiled, blew him a kiss and left, leaving Adam to figure out what to make for dinner that night.

Tanya's day went quickly. Work at the recording studio was unusually light, and her boss let everyone go early. She had ran most of her errands by about one o'clock, and only had the bank left. She figured she make the stop at the bank, then surprise Lily and her best friend Tabby by picking them up from school instead of making them walk.

She pulled the car into the parking lot, singing along with the radio, and pulled the keys from the ignition. Double checking that she had everything, she walked into the bank and got in line behind a young mother and her four year old son.

"Lovely day, isn't it?" she asked, making casual small talk with the woman. The younger mother just smiled in response and held her son's hand tighter until she reached the teller. Tanya shook her head. Things were so much different in Angel Grove than when she was fighting monsters there. The woman finally reached the teller and began depositing sever checks – birthday money, she explained, into an account for the little boy who stood, clutching her leg, staring at Tanya. Tanya smiled and waved to him, causing the child to smile back and hide his face, playing shy.

Suddenly the bank doors burst open and a wild looking man entered. His eyes searched the bank until they fell on the young mother and her toddler son.

"Bitch! You think you can keep him from me? Well if I can't have him, nobody can," he shouted, and fired two shots from the gun he had concealed in his jacket. Long dormant reflexes and instincts caused Tanya to act faster than she thought, as she dived in front of the child and the security guards grabbed the shooter. One bullet hit the side of the counter and ricocheted off. The second pierced straight through Tanya's chest and she dropped to her knees, experiencing the worst pain of her life. Her eyes, full of tears, landed on the boy and his mother who were crying and screaming, respectively. As she slipped into unconsciousness amid the screams and wails filling the bank, one word slipped gently from her lips. "Adam."

"Tanya," a soft voice rang slowly in her ears and she struggled to open her eyes. "Tanya, it's time," the voice repeated as the black she saw slowly turned whit and a teenager became focused. At first she thought it was Joshua, but she noticed his long hair. He was crying, and holding his hand out to her, talking slowly.

"Am I dreaming?" she asked him.

"I'm afraid not; Take my hand; it'll be easier that way," he told her.

"Tommy, I'm scared. I can't leave Adam."

"You never will," Tommy assured her, as she took his hand and he guided her safely out of her body.

* * *

Adam's desk phone rang several times as he worked on a presentation due the next week. Frustrated, he picked up the phone.

"A and D publishing. This is Adam Park," he said into the speaker.

"Mr. Park; this is Dr. Crammer at Angel Grove Hospital," a man's voice spoke to him. Adam immediately felt panic rise up in him, the felt a warm presence calm him, as if a hand had been placed on his shoulder. Mentally, he thanked Kimberly for being there as he listened to the doctor, knowing the news wouldn't be good. "Mr. Park, your wife dove in front of a bullet today to save a little boy," the doctor continued as the first tear fell from Adam's eyes. "The bullet pierced her heart. She died in route to the hospital," the doctor said as calmly as possible, as he listened to Adam's sobs which filled the phone and the office. He felt Kim wrap her arms around him, and he shakenly mustered the strength to tell the doctor he'd be there as soon as he could. He wrote a quick note to his boss and ran out of the office to his car where he broke down sobbing against the vehicle. Twice he tried to get into the car and drive; and twice he failed. He finally gave up and dragged his cell phone out and dialed.

"DeSantos residence," a young, cheerful voice answered the phone.

"Allie, are your parents there?" Adam asked in the steadiest voice he could muster. He didn't want the kids to know.

"Sure, Uncle Adam. Hold on," she told him. In the background he could hear her calling for her mother. "Mom! Mom, uncle Adam's on the phone. He doesn't sound so good," the twenty year old told her mother.

"Adam?" Aisha's voice resonated in his ears.

"She's dead. Aisha, Tanya's dead. She was shot at a bank," Adam blurted out between sobs, unable to hold himself back.

"Oh god," Aisha managed to respond, her head spinning, trying to pull back tears. "You still at work?" Rocky had noticed her tears and had come to stand beside her, straining to hear Adam on the other end.

"I-I can't drive."

"Rocky's on his way," she told him, brushing away tears. Rocky was already pulling on his shoes as she spoke. "Hold on, Adam," she said as they hung up, her friend still sobbing on the other end. Rocky gave her a questioning look as he grabbed his car keys. "Tanya," she told him simply as her tears began to fall violently. Rocky's face paled as he dashed out the door.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, Rocky rode silently alongside his best friend who was no longer crying, but just staring straight ahead. When he'd reached the parking lot, he'd found Adam on the ground, leaning against his car, chucking bits of rock. He wanted to cry with him, but somehow, he knew Adam had moved passed that; at least for the moment. Instead, he'd just held the man that was like a brother to him tightly, sending a silent thank you to Kim for staying with him until Rocky'd gotten there. He felt her spirit swirl around him and then leave as Rocky ushered Adam into the car.

Now they'd stopped in front of the high school. Rocky waited in the car as Adam walked in and went to the office. A phone call was made up to Josh's class room while Adam paced back and forth.

"Dad?" the teen asked when he reached the office, in confusion. Adam turned to the boy and let his eyes lay on him before the tears started again. "No," Josh whispered, reading his father's silence. "No! No! No!" he screamed and started punching the wall. Adam grabbed his fist and pulled his son into a tight hug. Josh struggled for a bit longer against his father's chest before breaking down and sobbing.

"We have to go get Lily," Adam told him, "You're Uncle Rocky's outside." Josh just nodded and walked behind his father, head down, still crying. They'd get his car later.

"Hey," Rocky said, acknowledging his nephew and godson. The teen muttered a hey back, and climbed into the back seat as they drove to the middle school. This time all three of them went inside. The students had just been dismissed, but Lillian Park was directed to the office. She walked in, chatting happily with her friend Tabitha Fernandez, until her eyes fell on her father. She saw tears in his and confused, she searched the office. Her brother took one look at her and began crying as her uncle held him.

"Daddy? What's going on? Why are you and Josh crying? Why's uncle Rocky here?"

"Lily, baby. Lily, your mother –"

"Mom died today!" Josh yelled out loudly.

"Josh!" Adam hissed, as Lily stared mouth open in horror before she started to cry. Adam took her in his arms and held her close, feeling her body shake against his own. Tabby started to cry too, and Rocky pulled the other girl close to him and Josh.

* * *

Three days later, Josh and Lily sat beside their father in the front pew of the church as Aisha finished her speech for Tanya. Adan's mind kept jumping back to the hospital the day she'd died.

They'd dropped Tabby off at home, explaining what had happened to Kira. The younger woman had just hugged Adam tightly, then promised to let Trent and the other former Dino Thunder rangers know. She volunteered to watch Lily, but Adam explained that Aisha was waiting for her.

At Rocky and Aisha's, Adam carried his sleeping daughter into the house and laid her on Margaret's bed. His nieces and nephews each gave him a tear filled hug.

"I'm sure Uncle Tommy's watching over her," Allie told him getting a nod and a tiny smile from him. He too was sure of her words, but he didn't feel entirely happy about it.

Aisha just held her friend and cried. Adam felt a few more silent tears as he held her, and then he, Rocky, and Josh left for the hospital so Adam could identify his wife's body. Adam agreed to let his son come to the hospital, but he refused the teen access to the morgue. He wasn't going to see his mother like that. Rocky waited with Josh in silence until Adam came back, evidence of new tears on his face. He sat down on the bench beside Josh, leaning his head back and shutting his eyes.

"It's not fair," Josh said, hoarsely, "She was a Power Ranger; this shouldn't have happened."

"I know," Adam assured him. He felt the same way. He always did. Even when Kim and Tommy had died.

"But if she could go like that… what about Aunt Kat and Aunt Trini? What about all of you? What about Abby and Candace? And Alex and Brandon? What about Toby, Louis, Margaret, and Allie."

"Hush," Adam told the sobbing boy. "It's alright. No one's going anywhere."

"How could you all fight so hard, only to die like that? How come she had to go first?"

"She didn't," Rocky told him. "She's not alone. Your mother is with your Aunt Kimberly and Uncle Tommy."

"I know; but I don't remember them," angry with himself. Would he forget his mother as well?

"Your Aunt Kim died six years before you were born. And your Uncle Tommy passed when you were four," Adam told him.

"I still should remember," Josh argued. "Maybe none of you should have… are all of you going to die so young?"

Adam hadn't had an answer for him then, and he still didn't, even as Tanya's casket was lowered into her grave and he was left alone, standing in the rain, staring at the words inscribed on her tomb stone.

"She is our everlasting song," he mumbled to himself, letting a tear fall. "Is he right? Will we all die before we should?" he asked the three streaks of color in the corner of his eye: White flanked on either side by pink and yellow. "Because I don't think it's fair," he added as the yellow vanished and a slight pressure touched his shoulder and then his cheek. "Tanya," he said, then paused. He took a breath. "I love you most," he said, still standing and crying, as the rain increased. He stood for a while, unmoving, watching the white and pink in his vision and taking comfort in the weight on his shoulder. It would be a long time before he ever felt whole again.

* * *

Ok, hope you all enjoyed. Chapter 4 has been started, but is no where near ready to go up. Hopefully, time permitting it'll be up in about 2 weeks.


	4. Departure of Strength

No long introductions, just glad to be writing again. Hopefully I won't fade into oblivion again. Enjoy!

* * *

And then there were three. It doesn't seem like a large number, not compared to the eight that were left, but to me, it was three individuals who would forever be beyond my reach. And with the passing of each one, the power that kept me going died a little more as well. My communication with those that lived became increasingly shorter, less powerful, less constant. I was loosing them, and I could never have them back. Just as they were loosing each other.

When Tanya opened her eyes, Tommy was gone. She was alone saving for her thoughts on a stone path, surrounded by mist. Stunned, she glanced down at her hands; her skin was tighter, more vibrant. She had energy she hadn't had in a long time. She knew she was younger. Her body felt it. Her shorts and tank top confirmed it. And in that moment, the sadness was overwhelming. Tanya crumpled to her knees on the path and buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Tommy and Kim sat beneath a tree on the other side of the mist, hands clasped as they listened to the sobbing, punctuated by screams. Tommy winced with each one, and pulled against Kim's iron grip on his hand, desperately wanting to go to her.

"Why?" he pleaded with Kim to let him go. Tanya was his teammate, his responsibility. She needed him.

"She's got to do this herself, when she's ready. She's not ready yet," was the only response she'd give him. She never met his eyes when she spoke and he resented her for it. She played by the rules, and he didn't give a shit about them. But when she spoke them, it was like law for him. Just because she was there first. The rules said he couldn't help Tanya, but Kimberly was the one stopping him. "She won't see you until she's ready," Kimberly added, and Tommy knew she was right.

Hours went by, and Tanya's sobs didn't ease. She pounded her fists against the stones, expecting them to be aching and raw, dripping with blood, but she didn't even acquire a scratch, which only made her heart ache more. Her family was left behind. Her friends, her children, her husband. Everything she was. Tanya sobbed until her voice was hoarse, and then she slowly sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, hiccupping softly.

She'd left them, and the only promise of comfort had left her. She was alone. And she was terrified. Not even the sounds of running water, little animals, and birds on the other side of mist brought her any comfort. She wasn't ready for this. She hadn't had months to prepare herself for her last moment. She didn't have her true love waiting for her here. Everything she wanted and loved was left behind, where she wanted to be, and it scared her.

He'd promised he'd be there to help her. She'd felt it in his words, and his hand when she'd taken it, pulling her away from the lights and sirens. But when she'd opened her eyes, Tommy was gone and she was alone. And for the first time since she the first time she was seventeen, Tanya was truly afraid. She let her fear surround her as the hiccupping subsided. Only when she opened her eyes and took a deep breath did she notice an accessory on her wrist that hadn't been there before.

The small silver communication device glistened in the no existent sunlight on her wrist. She stared at it for a long time, letting it give her the courage she needed. The crumpled girl, crying and screaming, pounding her body against the flag stones, and shaking in fear wasn't her. Her true self was embodied in that communicator. And as Tanya realized this, the fear dissolved. She stood up slowly, and took a deep breath. Nothing could hurt her. Nothing was as powerful as she was. And she confidently took a step off the path and through the mist, emerging on the other side.

A triumphant smile graced her face when she emerged and took in the familiar space. Tanya relaxed her tense shoulders, and whipped her wet eyes on her arm as she looked around, knowing now there really wasn't anything to fear. She sighed as her eyes fell on Tommy, who stood leaning against a tree trunk, arms crossed over her chest, a tiny smile of his own on his face. Kimberly sat beside a lake several yards away, her hand dipped into the water. The woman's eyes were locked on the water's surface.

"You decided to come through," Tommy's words brought her attention back to him. She smiled slightly as he pushed himself off the tree and hugged her tight.

"I was scared."

"I know," he told her. "But you had to do it on your own. I couldn't help you. You had to be ready to leave him," Tommy told her, still hugging her tightly, his own eyes wet with tears.

Tanya started to correct him when Tommy said him and not them, but suddenly she knew he was right. She hadn't been ready to leave Adam. Despite the goodbyes they gave each other every morning, she really hadn't been ready to leave.

"Come on, let me show you something," he told her, taking his friend by the hand and leading her across the field to Kimberly's side. They sat beside the smaller woman, and both put their hands into the crystal clear water.

* * *

Over the next five years, the three former rangers fell into routines. They gave each other privacy, and they comforted each other as needed. Tanya spent a lot of time alone by choice, giving the lovers time to be alone, and giving herself time to think. She missed her family and her soul mate, and the lake was never really enough. In fact, she often missed things as she tried to avoid it. Looking into it was both a blessing and a curse.

She was on the play ground one day, when Tommy came up to her, eyes downcast. He only looked up at her slightly when he finally reached her. Sadness filled him, and Tanya placed a hand on his shoulder, encouraging him to tell her what was wrong. "They need us," was all Tommy was able to say, as they joined Kimberly at the lake once more.

* * *

"Brandon, seriously boy will you relax," a blond woman told her twenty three year old son. The college graduate just gave his mother a tiny smile until she started coughing horribly again. His expression resumed its habitual worry again. She'd been coughing like this for about two months now. He'd begged her to see a doctor, but she'd always had an excuse. Her favorite: the animals she was photographing only migrated once a year and she couldn't miss it.

When she'd finally come home to California, Brandon had dragged her to the doctor. "I'm fine, really," she argued. "It's probably just bronchitis. They'll give me an antibiotic and then I'll…" she was cut off by another round of coughing and choking. Brandon rested his hand on her back, rubbing it, as he handed her a paper cup of water.

"You don't sound fine, mom," he told her. "I wish you would have come to the doctor's sooner."

"You can wish whatever you want," she told him.

"Doesn't mean I'll get it," he finished for her smiling. "I know mom, I just worry about you," the blond young man told her, hugging her shoulders. He wished the doctors would hurry up and bring back the x-rays. He never thought he'd be sitting in an office, hoping for bronchitis. Hell, even pneumonia would be ok by him. His mom just didn't sound right, and his gut was telling him it was bad.

"You worry too much," the woman replied cheerfully. A knock on the door, followed by it opening brought the mother son duo out of their private conversation. Brandon's heart sunk when not one but two doctors walked into the room. This couldn't be good.

"Katherine?" the first doctor, Dr. Felton, asked. He'd been the one who'd examined her earlier. Brandon liked him. He was kind. He hadn't dismissed Brandon's concerns and just taken the woman's word for it that she was alright. Brandon moved closer to his mother and placed his hand on her shoulder, wanting to protect her like he once did. "This is my colleague Dr. George Sutter from oncology. Dr. Sutter, this is Ms. Katherine Hillard."

Brandon's face paled, as he felt his mother's hand come up to rest on his. One word sent fear through them. Oncology. As in cancer. There was no other reason why Dr. Felton would have brought Dr. Sutter with him. This was no simple bronchitis. Brandon felt his knees give out as he fell into the chair beside his mother, trying desperately not to start crying in front of his mother and the two men.

"Oncology?" Kat squeaked out, feeling her stomach drop. "I have cancer." She said it in a way that was so matter of fact that it didn't leave room for a question.

The new doctor stepped closer to her, solemn eyes searching hers. "Yes," he replied, not sugar coating it. That wouldn't help her. "Ms. Hillard, you have stage IV lung cancer. I'm sorry."

"Stage IV?" Brandon asked. His heart sunk even further. Again the doctor nodded.

"We could treat with chemotherapy," Dr. Sutter began, "but even then it has barely a chance of even prolonging it. My best recommendation is that we try and just make you comfortable. It's your choice of course."

"No chemo," Kat said matter of factly, letting a few tears fall and shaking her head. Images of a friend who had passed twenty eight years before filled her mind. The chemo had drained her, made her sick, and in the end it hadn't saved her.

"Mom, what? Why? If it gave you a chance?" Brandon nearly shouted, pulling her face until he could see into her eyes.

"Brandon, I'm not going to live the rest of my life in a hospital," she told him sternly, then looked Dr. Sutter dead in the eyes. "How long?"

"Six months, at the most. I am sorry. I'll have the pharmacy get you some stuff for the cough. Come back if your symptoms get unbearable," he told her softly. "Do you have any questions?"

Brandon fell back into his chair, and placed his head in his hands as his mother began conversing with the doctor. He didn't understand her reluctance to get treatment. He didn't understand how she could just accept this. But really, he didn't have to. It wasn't his call to make.

* * *

Kimberly, Tommy, and Tanya sat in the grass beneath an oak tree watching the scene play out before them, tears falling down their faces, ready to be there if Kat needed them. But she was a strong woman. She'd raised Brandon on her own, made her life as a successful and well know wildlife photographer, and now she was facing the disease that was to end her life in stride.

The three pulled their hands out of the water and looked at one another. Moments later Kimberly began to sob. It was her fault Kat was refusing treatment. She never should have let them come see her. She should have suffered through alone. Her mind raced as she cried, mentally demanding that the "demon" that controlled her new world let her go to Kat. She needed to tell her to do the chemo. It wasn't that bad. It could give her a chance.

Tommy pulled Kimberly into his arms, holding her as tight as he dared, soothing her hysterics. He rocked her back and fourth, speaking softly and telling her it would be ok. Kat knew what she was doing. She always did what she wanted to do.

Tanya stood up and left the two in peace, wandering away to let the tears fall. Her heart broke for her best friend and her son. Over the years she'd learned to accept this place, took comfort in the company of her friends, knowing that by being together here, it meant they were always destined to be a family, stronger than that made by blood, and loved every moment she got to be with the family's father. But that didn't change the fact that she hated it. It might have been heaven, but to her it was a personal hell, and she was sure Tommy and Kimberly felt the same on occasion.

They had everything they needed, and they had the god damned lake. The thing that could show them everything they wished to see. It gave them a window to the mortal world, where the rest of their family continued to grow and blossom. But it prevented them from doing what they really wanted. Being with those they loved when times were hard. And now was one of the hardest times they would face. And the lake would show them every moment if they wanted, but they couldn't do anything to change it.

At that moment, Tanya, Tommy and Kimberly turned their back on the lake. It just wasn't worth it.

* * *

Kat rested with her eyes closed in a quiet hospital room where she'd been admitted two days ago. To the other occupants of the room, she looked like she was sleeping peacefully. In truth, she was peaceful, just not sleeping. Instead she was thinking, enjoying the time when people weren't poking and prodding her, when she didn't have to see the look of pity in their eyes.

Kat thought back over the last two and half months. She remembered every moment of it as clear as a bell. It was as if she'd been living life in a bubble, and when Dr. Sutter told her about the cancer, the bubble popped.

It had started with the silent car ride home beside Brandon. The young man kept wanting to talk, but Kat refused. He'd just try and talk her into the chemotherapy and she didn't want that. She didn't want to die like that, and she knew in the depths of her heart that it would kill her. In an effort to avoid the conversation, Kat just turned up the radio in the car, not loud, just too loud for comfortable conversation.

"Take me to the park," was the only thing she said to her son, before pulling out her cell phone and make just over half a dozen phone calls. She wanted to tell everyone someplace comfortable, and as soon as possible.

It took a few hours for everyone to arrive. Brandon had sulked the entire time, and wouldn't come near anyone save his own teammates, and even them he refused to talk to. Kat spoke cheerfully to her friends as they arrived one by one, but she avoided explaining whey she'd asked them all to come.

When Jason and Trini arrived last, she had them all sit down, and she smiled through her tears when she told them. Brandon punched a tree and walked off. Alex made to follow him, but Allie stopped him, and the seven of them watched their teammate go. "He'll come back when he's ready," Margaret told them quietly, as they stood on the outside of the circle around their "aunt".

"Six months?" Aisha had asked her. Kat had nodded, as her former teammate squeezed her hand.

"And you won't get treatment?" Adam asked. Kat shook her head, trying to reassure them. She'd made up her mind. She wanted to go comfortable.

"It'll be ok," she told them. "I can accept this. Besides, I won't be alone," she told them, squeaking it out through tears. Aisha and Trini cried with her quietly. Each was lost in their own state of remorse.

They all spent the rest of the evening together in the park, talking about the future, and telling old stories. It was the saddest and happiest moment of her life at the same time. They were all together, even those who weren't with them anymore.

The next month went by in a blur. She had thrown herself into everything she wanted to do, with Aisha, Rocky, Adam, and Billy joining her most of the time. She SCUBAed in Tahiti, she went sky diving, she climbed mountains, she learned to sail. And she wrote letters. One for each of the important people in her life. She saved Brandon's for last, and gave it to Aisha to give to him, knowing her son would read it if he got it before she passed.

At the end of that month she'd gotten to celebrate Candace's engagement. It was about time. Two weeks later she sat in the front rows at Alison's wedding. She danced with her son at the reception, hoping he wouldn't notice how light she was. His face had told her that he did, but Kat ignored it.

Allie was still away on her honeymoon when Kat had collapsed in her room at Brandon's apartment. Two days later, Kat came to the conclusion. She wasn't going to make it six months. She wasn't going to make it three.

Lying in her hospital bed, Kat turned her head to find Brandon sitting next to her, holding her hand. "You should go get something to eat," she told him. Brandon shook his head. He wasn't leaving her. "Promise you'll eat soon," she commanded, patting his hand with the one he wasn't holding. "I don't want you to be in here."

"I want to be," Brandon told her. "You're all I've got."

"That's not true. You've got your team. They're you're family. Just like mine," she replied quietly, her voice failing at the end. "Please don't stay in here. I don't want you to watch."

Brandon let out the sob he'd been trying to contain. She couldn't do this to him. He needed her. He'd never had a dad, and now he was supposed to loose his mom too. She'd been so strong before the cancer. She'd be infallible. She was his hero. But he nodded. He could give her what she wanted. "Do you want them?"

"No," she replied. She couldn't let anyone stay with her. Besides she was right, she wasn't alone. "If they ask, tell them I'm taking a nap," she told him, regretting her lie.

Brandon nodded again "I love you," he told her, hugging her and kissing her forehead and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.

Kat watched him go for a moment, and then took the deepest breath she could and closed her eyes. "Show me the way," she whispered quietly, sinking into the blackness that overcame her vision and the machines began to announce her departure.

Brandon walked into the waiting room, and sunk into a chair beside Adam who was reading a news paper. Aisha and Rocky were sitting in the corner drinking coffee and Billy was looking out the window. He turned to look at the young man when he came out.

"Is she asleep?" he asked. Brandon just nodded, choking on another sob. He didn't trust his voice. Billy smiled slightly. "Its good that she gets some –" his words were cut off by the sound of a loud steady, never ending beep echoed through the waiting room. Billy's head snapped back to the direction of the room as he dove forward, Adam, Aisha, and Rocky behind him. Brandon just broke down sobbing, cradling his head in his hands, ignoring the chaos that surrounded him.

* * *

She wasted no time at all, barely standing on the stone path shrouded in mist for more than the time it took her to get her bearings. She removed the flip flops adorning her feet as she stepped off the path and felt the grass between her toes. It was wet from recent rainfall. She smiled into the waiting and welcoming faces of the three individuals before her.

"You were so brave," Tanya told her, taking her best friend in her arms and hugging her tightly. "Welcome."

"There was nothing to be scared of," Kat replied, hugging her back. She looked over Tanya's shoulder and smiled at Tommy and Kimberly. Tanya took her by the hand and led her over to them, where she embraced Tommy tightly for a moment and then released. She turned to Kimberly.

"I owe you twice now," she told her predecessor.

Kimberly shook her head. "Kat, you don't owe me anything," she replied.

"Of course I do. It's because of you that I belong here. You gave me your coin. You gave me a chance to be part of this. And you showed me what to expect from chemo."

"I know. Kat I wanted you to take it," Kimberly protested. "I wanted to tell you to get treatment."

"No Kim, you could handle it. I couldn't have. I wouldn't have been there as long as I was. I know that. He told me," Kat told her.

"He?" Tommy asked her, placing his hand on her shoulder.

"He is here, isn't he?" Kat asked with a small smile on her face. He eyes locked onto the communicator on her wrist. She glanced up at Tommy, afraid her assumption was wrong. Her friend just smiled and nodded.

"You want to see him?"

"Please," Kat replied, taking Tommy's hand in one of hers and Tanya's in the other. "All of us?"

"Of course," Kimberly said, taking Tommy's other hand. Together, the four of them went to see him.

* * *

Brandon had been quiet during her funeral. In fact after his hysterical sobbing in the hospital waiting area, Brandon hadn't made a sound. He'd remained silent while friends and family made speeches. He didn't cry when they lowered her casket into the ground. He let Rocky carve her epithet: Graceful and Fun loving; She was our spirit. He stayed at the grave site until they covered. He lightly touched the fresh dirt with his fingers when it finally started to rain and he walked away, ignoring the pale pink shadow beside him.

The funeral was two months ago. Brandon had retreated to his apartment. He quit his job. He holed himself up inside the small two bedroom place alone. He refused to read the letter Aisha gave him. He wouldn't answer the phone. He didn't come to the door. He just sat on the couch all day, occasionally eating, sometimes sleeping, but he didn't live.

And they'd had enough of it. Josh wanted to kill him. When his mother died five years before he hadn't done this. What gave Brandon the right to act as if his loss was so much worse? And Josh would have beaten the shit out of him if Alex hadn't agreed to step in. This was going to be an intervention.

Eleven young adults walked to the dreary apartment on morning, and banged on the door. They didn't expect an answer. They didn't get one. Toby and Louis kicked the door down, causing the man inside to jump up in surprise. He glared at them as they filed into the room, one by one, arms folded over their chests. But they weren't angry. They were determined.

Brandon decided to ignore them, just like he ignored the pink thing that followed him everywhere. Couldn't they just leave him alone?

It took hours that day, but they finally began to get through to him. They told stories like they had the day she'd told them about the lung cancer. They told stories about all of them. And they added memories of themselves to the mix. They reminded Brandon that there was something to live for. He just had to find it. And for the first time, Brandon listened to them, and he paid attention to his quiet pink shadow.

When they left, he read the letter his mother had written him. She'd asked him not to do all the things he'd been doing, and he regretted it. And inside was a small newspaper clipping. The headline read "Officer killed in Shoot Out following Rape". He was confused at first, but as he read the article, the truth became clear. She'd never told him about his father before, and she'd waited until he couldn't ask her any questions, but he didn't have any.

Brandon set the letter and the article down on the table, and went to shave. There was a new job he had to apply for.

* * *

It's been so long since I've written anything, and yeah it's shorter than usual, but it's a start. Kat was the hardest to write anyway.

Hope you enjoyed.

Fateless Wanderer


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